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Mark B. Ledenbach's vintage Halloween collectibles blog.

Old Halloween Noisemaker Bell with Witches

This particular tin litho design was made for many years by U.S. Metal Toy. One way to determine approximately when a noisemaker like this was made is by looking at the handle. This one has a plastic handle, which dates it to being made in the 1960s. All else being equal, the noisemakers with wood handles are worth more. 

Mint - Very Rare 1930's German Paper Mache Skull Noise Maker

This skull horn, and the several others from this set of horns, was made in the mid-1990s. They first made their appearance at an antiques show in Atlantic City and have been plaguing our fine hobby since.  They typically show up in boxes, six or so to the box. The boxes are actually old, and it is the age of the boxes that has fooled many dealers into thinking the contents, too, are old. The horns have decorative value only. Don't be fooled! 

Halloween noisemaker

Please see my post from 11/10 for further comments on this faux noisemaker. I find it irritating that the seller continues to flog these as vintage even though she has been informed that they aren't. 

Old GERMANY Diecut WITCH Paddle Halloween Noisemaker

This seems to be a very good deal. There were a variety of these German diecut clapper items manufactured in the 1920s. Virtually all of them  were painted in such a way that would denote wear to the untrained eye. (The way these were painted is identical to how a few diecuts like the owl in the middle of page 163 were painted.) 

Halloween Cardboard Candlestick Candy Container

This item was, without question, made in Japan. Most vintage Japanese items were derivative of German and US designs, making them generally less interesting and definitely less valuable than German or US pieces. Compare this to the German candlestick candy container shown on page 105. It has none of the fine detail and inherent charm of the German piece. 

Large German Halloween Pumpkin Man Candy Container

There were two iterations made of this ingeniously designed 1920s German candy container. As I write on page 60, "It features light compo wash over cardboard head, compo shoes, and felt clothing over flexible metal frame. This inspired mixture of differing mediums led to one of the most fanciful of the German creations." This item doesn't come up for sale often. It is a very tall, imposing piece. I think the price is quite fair. Another plus - you have an opportunity to buy from a seller of whom I think quite highly. 

12 VERY OLD EARLY DENNISON HALLOWEEN ICE CREAM PICKS IN ORIGINAL BOX

The seller offering this complete set of twelve Dennison cut-outs typically asks much too much for things when listing items using a fixed price Buy-It-Now option rather than the more traditional auction option. However, in this case  his offering price is just pushing the boundary rather than actually crossing it. $150 for this complete set with seemingly perfect contents and a very fine box doesn't make me wince. If you don't have this set, this may be the time to add it to your collection.